to me
to hush, as that she heard somewhat in the wood that lay all the way
upon our right. And, indeed, something I heard too; for there was surely
a rustling of the leaves, and anon a dead twig crackt with a sound clear
and sharp in the stillness.

And immediately there came three men running out of the wood at me; and
I called to them sharply to keep off or beware of harm; and I put the
maid to my back with my left hand, and had my oak staff ready for my
use.

But the three men gave out no word of reply; but ran in at me; and I saw
somewhat of the gleam of knives; and at that, I moved very glad and
brisk to the attack; and behind me there went shrill and sweet, the call
of a silver whistle; for the Maid was whistling for her dogs; and maybe
the call was also a signal to the men-servants of her house.

Yet, truly, there was no use in help that was yet to come; for the need
did be then and instant; and I nowise loath to use my strength before
my sweet cousin. And I stepped forward, briskly, as I have told; and
the end of my staff I drove into the body of the left-ward man, so that
he dropped like a dead man. And I hit very sharply at the head of
another, and surely crackt it for him; for he made instantly upon the
earth; but the third man I met with my fist, and neither had he any
great need of a second blow; but went instant to join his companions,
and the fight thus to have ended before it was even proper begun, and I
laughing a little with a proper pride, to know the bewilderment that I
perceived in the way that the Lady Mirdath, my cousin, stood and
regarded me through the dusk of the hushed even.

But, indeed, there was no time left to us, before there came bounding
up, three great boar-hounds, that had been loosed to her whistle; and
she had some ado to keep the brutes off me; and I then to beat them off
the men upon the earth, lest they maul them as they lay. And directly,
there was a noise of men shouting, and the light of lanthorns in the
night, and the footmen of the house to come running with lanthorns and
cudgels; and knew not whether to deal with me, or not, in the first
moment, even as the dogs; but when they saw the men upon the ground, and
learned my name and saw me proper, they kept well their distance and had
no lack of respect; but, indeed, my sweet cousin to have the most of
any; only that she showed no intent to keep distance of me; but to have
a new and deeper feeling of kinship than she at fir